July 2024

Engage Help

Devotion / By /

Engage Help

John Wadsworth

The story of Moses is a profound illustration of servant leadership, humility, and the necessity of community support in fulfilling one’s calling. When Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he felt inadequate and voiced his concerns. In response, God provided Aaron as a companion and spokesperson (Exodus 4:10-16). This act of divine provision sets a precedent for the importance of seeking and accepting help from others.

As Moses continued his journey, he frequently relied on the support of others. During the battle against the Amalekites, when Moses raised his staff to ensure Israel’s victory, Aaron and Hur supported his arms when he grew tired (Exodus 17:8-13). This symbolic act demonstrates the power of communal support in achieving success.

Additionally, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, observed Moses’ overwhelming burden of leadership and advised him to delegate responsibilities to capable men, thereby appointing seventy elders to share the load (Exodus 18:13-26). This wise counsel prevented burnout and ensured more effective governance.

When constructing the tabernacle, God appointed skilled artisans like Bezalel and Oholiab to execute the intricate work (Exodus 31:1-11). This further emphasizes the necessity of specialized skills and the importance of recognizing and utilizing the gifts of others to fulfil a larger purpose.

The “Engage Help” step in CURE reflects this biblical model. Just as Moses needed a support system to fulfil his divine mission, we too must recognize the importance of seeking help from various sources, including friends, family, and professionals. However, many of us struggle with asking for help due to pride, embarrassment, or uncertainty.

It’s essential to acknowledge our limitations and understand that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. When we feel overwhelmed, inadequate, or tired, we must remember the examples set by Moses and his community. Asking for help is not only practical but also spiritually wise.

Just like Moses, we must first seek God. At the top of the Pyramid on the “Engage Help” step is God, and through Christ, we have access to the Holy Spirit, the ultimate helper. As John 16:7 (AMPC) states: “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counsellor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].”

By seeking God’s wisdom, discernment, and strength, we can navigate our challenges more effectively. Engaging help from God and others is crucial in our journey of transformation and in serving those around us.

As we support others, let us be mindful of our own needs and the resources available to us. By asking, “Can you please help me?” we open ourselves to a wealth of support that can empower us to fulfil our callings and assist others more effectively. Embracing this step fosters a community through servant leadership leading to transformation, reflecting the collaborative spirit demonstrated by Moses and his companions.

The Engage Help Step

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The Engage Step

By Amanda Barclay

I would like to share with you how important the Engage Step and the pyramid practically are for me: in my own life, in the small group (for vulnerable women) that I co-facilitate and anytime I connect with a person who is under the water level.

When I meet with a person and they share with me, that they are really struggling in life, I am often the first person that they have shared this with. To ensure their safety and that I am not the only one supporting them, I try to make sure, ideally in the first meeting, that they have at least someone else in their pyramid. Once we have achieved enough safety and connection in the conversation, I often skip from the U step straight to the engage other help step as.

In Australia, I have found that the easiest place to start in helping someone   build their pyramid is often in the professional work corner: The first step usually is that I make sure they have a general practitioner they can trust. If this is not the case and the person has depression for example, I have in the past assisted them in finding a good GP and in getting a referral to a specialist or counsellor.

I am continually collecting names and contact details of psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors that have been recommended to me.

I am aware that in some other countries it would be a lot harder to help someone build their professional corner due to the lack of mental health professionals.

The next step would be to help them access the local church and people helper’s corners:

I also give them the contacts available based on their most pressing needs: To help me in doing this, I am actively collecting information on the range of help different churches in our area offer. Every church or para-church organization has their specific focus and strength in their outreach and are able to offer assistance in different areas: for instance some offer free food, others offer support groups for divorcees. In doing this I think we can really see that there is such power in working in unity as the Church. I see this unity beautifully expressed in the Living Wholeness community.

Building the Family and friends’ corner: by giving someone an overview of the steps and the principles of SAFETY the quality and depth their everyday relationships are inhanced.

Top of the pyramid: The women in our small group often struggle to see God as a safe person, either because they haven’t had a safe earthly father (alcohol addiction, abuse or neglect etc) or some of the preaching or even how they themselves read the Bible (through the glasses of their hurt and pain) has made them feel like God is condemning. Unfortunately, there are people in church that don’t understand that salvation, forgiveness and prayer don’t heal everything immediately and that there is such a thing as God centred suffering. This can make church an unsafe place for hurting people. In the safety of our small group the woman can learn that God is safe, but this can take years or may be a lifelong journey.

In our small group we had to support women go through the complicated process of applying for social security payments, so they had the funds needed to access professional support. In Australia, this process is complex and overwhelming/impossible for someone with mental illness to complete. The support and advocacy needed for this is sadly lacking.

Again, I am aware that in many countries there is no social security available.

I am also aware of how important it is for me to be the recipient and to proactively build my own pyramid. I am blessed to have a good pyramid of safe people in most corners.

The area that we as group facilitators have found the hardest to get is adequate support and supervision from pastoral care.

I have also really struggled with the lack of awareness at church and in society in general for how hard living with mental illness or supporting a family member with mental illness can be.

This again points to importance of the pyramid and the amazing work of Living Wholeness!!